Equestrianism and equestrian sport have deep roots in both American and world history. While the Kentucky Derby, the Breeder's Cup, and the Belmont Stakes are the most widely known equine events in the U.S., equestrian sport is also an Olympic event. Additionally, the sport of Polo is also popular not only in the U.S. but on a global stage. In fact, these activities are so ubiquitous that the Fédération Équestre International recognizes ten distinct disciplines within the realm of equestrianism.
What this variety shows is that equines are versatile animals that can be trained to perform in many different events, with varying rules, and under numerous conditions. However, the jockey, rider, or handler are at an extreme disadvantage when training and controlling these equines. Having a weight upwards of 500 kg and reaching speeds upwards of 65 mph, safely maneuvering these animals while optimizing their performance is challenging. Not to mention, riders find themselves 3 meters above the ground with only experience and a helmet for protection.
On top of all of the above, even in equines without any pre-existing conditions, normal maintenance activities such as clipping, shoeing, and transporting can cause elevated anxiety levels which regularly result in injuries to both the animal and the people handling or riding them. According to the British Journal of Medicine and Medical Research, the main injury mechanisms include the fall off the horse, the kick of the fallen rider by the horse and, to a lesser extent, the biting by the horse, trampling by the horse or being dragged by the reins after the fall. That same study showed that 85% of the children had fall accidents, 7% were kicked, while 65% of the adults had fall accidents and 16% were kicked.
In addition to the standard faire when working with equines, both “show” and “race” horses can act very calmly when at home, but become what is known as “under-performers” when placed in competitive situations due to stress or anxiety. The unpredictability of such powerful animals further demonstrates the urgency to maintain safety protocols for those who work in the equestrian field, as well as the needs for things to go well for when the equines are engaged in equestrianism.
While there are other animals that can be trained for specific tasks, one thing that sets equines apart from other animals is the fact that they are prey animals. As such, in most situations, equines react differently than canines, felines, and most other domesticated animals. For example, when equines are placed in stressful or anxiety causing situations, often they can act in frenetic, if not violent manners, and can become a danger to themselves and those around them.
In short, equines can be very dangerous to work with, but very rewarding to do so successfully. As such, there are many new safety steps that need to be taken via pharmaceutical preparation to benefit the health of all parties involved in the sport.
Unsurprisingly, owners, jockeys, and riders often resort to extreme measures to control their equines to improve performance. This has resulted in hundreds of various compounds being either banned or controlled for use in equestrian sport. While there are many banned compounds, suppressing levels of stress and anxiety in equines will generate more efficient performance results without increasing the risk of injuries for riders and handlers. Thus, a new pharmaceutical preparation that is not on the banned substance list but can also increase the performance while maintaining the safety of the equines and riders would greatly benefit and improve the sports and events under which they are performing.
In the present disclosure, where a document, act, or item of knowledge is referred to or discussed, this reference or discussion is not an admission that the document, act, or item of knowledge or any combination thereof was at the priority date, publicly available, known to the public, part of common general knowledge or otherwise constitutes prior art under the applicable statutory provisions; or is known to be relevant to an attempt to solve any problem with which the present disclosure is concerned.
While certain aspects of conventional technologies have been discussed to facilitate the present disclosure, no technical aspects are disclaimed and it is contemplated that the claims may encompass one or more of the conventional technical aspects discussed herein.